This invention relates generally to air conditioning systems. More particularly the invention relates to a condensate slinger for an air conditioner having an outside vertically oriented axial flow type fan.
Warm air is frequently also humid, i.e., it contains entrained water vapor. During operation of an air conditioning system in the cooling mode, the system refrigerant evaporator reduces the temperature of the air passing through it to below the dew point. In that condition, water vapor condenses on the evaporator. Some means must be provided to dispose of this condensate. In small unitary air conditioners, such as window room air conditioners, a common means to accomplish condensate disposal is by providing a condensate collection and drain path that communicates between the inside section and the outside section of the air conditioner. Condensate formed on the systems evaporator drains into a collector in the inside section and then flows to a collector located under the condenser fan in the outside section. The outside section condensate collector and the condenser fan are arranged so that the fan will contact the condensate in the collector and sling it on to the hot surfaces of the system condenser where the condensate water evaporates. The arrangement is such that the fan will sling the condensate before the water in the collector rises to a level where it can overflow. A slinger arrangement eliminates the need for an inconvenient, unsightly and costly condensate drain from the air conditioner. Another benefit from such an arrangement, is that the heat necessary to evaporate the water from the condenser is taken from and thus assists in cooling the warm refrigerant in the condenser, resulting in an improvement in system efficiency.
Numerous prior art designs are known for providing a condensate slinging capacity in an axial flow type fan where the axis of rotation is generally parallel to the base of the unit. Typical of such a condensate slinging fan is that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,441, Air Conditioner With Condensate Slinging Fan assigned to the assignee of the present invention and issued on Jun. 1, 1993.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/993,880, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and entitled Room Air Conditioner was filed on Dec. 23, 1992. This application describes a condensate slinger of the type which may be used in an air conditioner where the outside section fan is of the axial flow type and has an axis of rotation that is generally perpendicular to and is directly driven by the outside fan motor. The condensate slinger comprises a truncated conical cup having an upper and lower end and a sloping conical wall which extends from the upper to the lower end and surrounds an interior volume. The cup includes a bottom closing the lower end which has passages therethrough to allow fluid to flow into the interior volume.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a condensate disposal system using a cone pump type slinger which cooperates with the condensate collection well of the air conditioner to enhance the condensate disposal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide louver type condensate inlet openings in a cone pump type condensate slinger.